TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Persib Bandung Manager Umuh Muchtar is planning to buy foreign strikers to play for the Maung Bandung (Bandung Tiger), Persib’s nickname. Persib’s strike force is considered to be lacking of clinical strikers.
“We will buy one striker. A foreign player, but he is an Indonesian citizen now,” Umuh told reporters yesterday in Bandung.
Umuh said that the reason behind the move is that he is not satisfied yet with Persib’s play who rarely score during their first two matches.
Of the two matches played by Persib, Tantan & Co. had only scored once. The long awaited win by Persib fans, locally known as Bobotoh, have yet to come. Umuh admitted he is not satisfied with the two draws in the two matches played so far.
“We have yet to meet the expected quota [of players], it has not been [as good] as expected, so we have to work hard. If we can get the two naturalized players, alhamdulillah. One player has been secured, he will soon arrive [at the club],” he said.
Asked about the players’ name to play for Persib, Umuh declined to reveal it. “I will not yet reveal their names because we fear that they might get hijacked by other [teams]. But he has played for Persib before and he have played for Indonesia [national team]. The other one, hopefully is available, is a naturalized [player],” he said.
Reports say that Sergio Van Dijk will soon play for Persib Bandung. Umuh, however, declined to confirm the rumor. “We will see who’s coming,” he said.
“I keep communicating with Pak Glenn (Glenn T Sugita-President Director of Persib). The first one is already secured, but the other one is still in the process [of negotiation] and please don’t mention his name already, we fear that he might get hijacked by other [teams],” Umuh said.
AMINUDIN A.S.